The first supermoon of 2018 will appear on New Year's Day — and it's more special than usual

The "wolf moon" on January 1 — New Year's Day — will
also be the first supermoon of the year.

Supermoons occur when a full moon coincides with the
time the moon is closest to Earth.

They don't look all that different from regular full
moons, but this one is special because it's one of three
happening in a row.

A "super blue moon" on January 31 will also coincide
with a lunar eclipse.

On January 1 — New Year's Day — we'll see the first supermoon of
2018.

Different cultures around the world have given various names to
each full moon of the year. The first full moon of the year is
called the wolf moon after the idea that wolves howl at the moon.

And in this case, it's also a
supermoon, a full moon that arrives when the moon is at or
near the part of its orbit that's closest to Earth.

The difference between a supermoon and a regular full moon isn't
always easy to tell — though if you could put a supermoon next to
a micromoon, a full moon at the part of its orbit furthest from
Earth, you'd see it.

But looking up to observe our celestial companion is worth it,
and a supermoon (or another full moon) is as good an occasion as
any to check it out.

This event is made a bit more special by the fact that this
supermoon is one of three occurring in a row. The first appeared
on December 3, this one is on January 1, and we'll see the third
on January 31.

A
supermoon compared with a micromoon.NASA/JPL-Caltech

Looking to January 31

A second full moon to appear in a month — like the one on January
31 — is called a blue moon. They happen about once every two and
a half years.

But NASA says that "super blue moon" will also feature a total
lunar eclipse, or when the moon lines up so that the Earth blocks
the sun's light we see reflected in the moon. These happen about
twice a year.

As NASA explains it: "The moon will lose its brightness and take
on an eerie, fainter-than-normal glow from the scant sunlight
that makes its way through Earth's atmosphere. Often cast in a
reddish hue because of the way the atmosphere bends the light,
totally eclipsed Moons are sometimes called 'blood moons.'"

"The lunar eclipse on January 31 will be visible during moonset,"
said Noah Petro, a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Space
Flight Center. "Folks in the eastern United States, where the
eclipse will be partial, will have to get up in the morning to
see it."

And these occasions all serve to remind us of one thing, Petro
says: The moon is pretty cool and worth looking at, no matter
what.

"The supermoons are a great opportunity for people to start
looking at the moon," he said, "not just that once, but every
chance they have!"